Stone Rollin'

From the gritty groove of opener “Heart Attack” to the nine-minute epic closer “The Answer,” Raphael Saadiq can do no wrong on Stone Rollin’. He confidently sound-checks classic R&B, soul, and blues from Ray Charles to Motown to Sly & The Family Stone yet is always in command of his own style, mining influences and coming up with something new. Supremely talented, here he plays guitar, bass, keyboards, Mellotron, and drums like the studio ace and mega-producer he is (he’s also a founding member of Tony! Toni! Tone! and Lucy Pearl), and his electrifying falsetto is unstoppable on this collection of expertly-crafted songs. The title track, “Radio,” and the addictive “Day Dreams” can jumpstart a party, the symphonic spiritual “Go to Hell” is rich and sublime, “Just Don’t” is lushly psychedelic, and he delivers some sultry soul with “Good Man.” Track for track Stone Rollin’ may be the best example yet of Saadiq’s range and prodigious skill.